January 28, 2016
-
A lot of people ask whether a 15 or 30 year mortgage is best and we’re here today to share some important facts about each mortgage type.
Once you’ve learned the definition of each mortgage, you’ll be able to compare and contrast them more effectively. We hope to empower you as a borrower by giving you the ability to choose the mortgage which is just right for your own particular financial picture.
More ►

In an economic environment that has been slow to recover since officially coming out of the recession in June 2009, the Federal Reserve’s bond-buying program has been a driving force in pushing interest rates down to historic level. In early May, rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage dipped to 3.35 percent. At the end of the month the average rate increased to 3.81 percent.
When the Fed announced that it would likely begin trimming the bond-buying program later this year, worried bond investors took bond market went into a state of flux. This uncertainty in the market propelled mortgage interest rates into an upward trajectory anticipating changes in the program.
Today, the average interest rate is around 4.5 percent. The hike in interest rates adds an extra $132 per month for a borrower with a $200,000 30-year, fixed rate home loan.
More ►

At the beginning of the year, lenders begin lowering the underwriting standards for prime mortgages. These loans are made to borrowers with AAA credit. The loans have the least chance of default and carry the lowest interest rates. The Federal Reserve released data that shows the move by lenders spurred demand for prime loans by eligible borrowers.
It’s only in the last few months that lenders have begun to relax the draconian lending criteria put in place after the housing market crisis for borrowers with blemished credit profiles have found it easier to qualify for loans, according to the mortgage origination software firm Ellie Mae.
More ►